Conveyer and elevator for threshing-machines



Patented sept. 2n, |898.

No. 61u97.

F. DENTLER. CONVEYER AND ELEVATOR FDR THHESHING MACHINES.

' (Applicatian led Dec. 24, 1897.)

2 Sheets-Sheet l.

(No Model.)

No. 6||,|97` Patented Sept. 20, |898.

F. DENTLEB.

CDNVEYEB AND ELEVATOR FOR THRESHING MACHINES.

(Application led Dec. 24, 1897.)

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

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UNITED STATES PATENT @maroni FRANK DENTLER, OF PARKVILLE, MICHIGAN.

CONVEYER AND' ELEVATOR FOR THRESHING-IVIACHINES.

SPEIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 611,197, dated September 20, 1898. Application filed December 2L 18.97. Serial No. 663,305. (No model.)

To all whom t may concern: v

Be it known that I, FRANK DENTLER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Parkville, in the countyof'St. Joseph and State of Michigan, have invented a new and useful Conveyer and Elevator for Threshing-Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in conveyers and elevators for threshing-maohines; and the object that I have in view is to provide an improved mechanism which oo- .cupies a compact relation to the threshingmachine to receive the cleaned grain directly from the shoe thereof and deliver such grain to a measuring and bagging mechanism. l

A further object is to improve the conveying and elevating mechanism with a View to taking up the slack in the endless flightchains and to obviate the liability of straw, chaff, and refuse from being carried up to the sprocket wheels and becoming entangled therewith.

A further object is to provide an improved construction in which the grain measuring and bagging mechanism may be used at the pleasure of the attendant on either side of the threshing-machine, to .which end I provide a reversible driving mechanism for the endless i'light-chain which constitutes the conveyer and elevator.

With these ends in view my invention consists in the novel construction and arrangement of parts and in the combination of elements, which will be hereinafter `full'ydescribed and claimed. f

To enable others to understand my invention, Ihave illustrated the preferred embodiment thereof in the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this speciiication, and in Figure l is a side elevation of a threshingmachine with my improved conveyer and elevating mechanism applied thereto and adapted for service in connection with a measuring and bagging mechanism. Fig. 2

is a vertical cross-sectional view through the threshing-machine andl my improved conveying and elevating mechanism to show the relation of the latter to the threshing-machine and its cleaning-shoe, the full lines representing a measuring and bagging mechanism adjusted for use in connection with the endless flight conveyer when driven in one direction and the dotted lines representing the position of the measuring and bagging mechanism when the conveyer is run in the opposite direction. Fig. 3 is a detail perspective view of part of the endless conveying and elevating mechanism, and Fig. 4t is a detail view of the reversible driving mechanism for impelling the endless flight-chains in either direction.

Like numerals of reference denote like and corresponding parts in each of the several figures of the drawings.

To enablek others skilled in the art to understand my invention, I have illustrated so much of the threshing-machine as is necessary to show myimproved mechanism applied thereto. The threshing-machine or grainseparator is represented by the numeral 1 and its cleaning-shoe by 2; but I Would have it understood that I do not strictly confine myself to any particular type of threshingmachine, as I am aware that the improvements may be used generallyin connection with threshing-machines which employ cleaning-shoes for separating the grain from the chaff.

My improvements consist in a novel form or construction of endless-chain conveyer and elevator adapted for use in connection with a grain measuring and bagging mechanism. The casing for the endless flight-chains is arranged to extend entirely around the machine casing of the threshingmachine transversely across and outside of the same.

The conveyer and elevator casing is designated in its entirety by the numeral 3, and said conveyer-casing consists of the bottom section 4, the upright members 45 6, and the top section 7 all of which are continuous with each other to provide an inclosure for the endless flight-chains forming the conveyer and elevator. The bottom section 4t of the conveyer-casing is curved or'inclined longitudinally beneath the primary machine-casing for the purpose of'taking up the slack in the endless night-chains. .The top section 7 of the conveyer-casing extends across the deck of the threshing-machine in a substantially horizontal direction, and said top section 7 is somewhat longer than the bottom IOO section 4t of the conveyer-casing, so that its ends project farther beyond the sides of the primary machine-casing than the ends of the bottom section 4. The upright members 5 G of the conveyer-casin g are inclined outwardly and upwardly from the bottom section 4: to the top section 7, substantially as shown by Fig. 2 of the drawings, and in arranging the night-chains within the conveyer-casing the upright legs or parts of said flight-chains are caused to conform to the inclination of the upright members 5 6 of the conveyer-casing and the flights thereon travel adjacent to the outer walls of said upright members 5 6,

whereby the flights are caused to discharge the grain to the measuring` and bagging mechanism presently described. These upright members 5 6 of the conveyer-casin g are each notched or otherwise formed at a point intermediate of its height to provide an overhanging spout, the spout on one upright member 5 being indicated at 8 and the spout on the other upright member 6 being represented by the numeral 9. These spouts of the upright members of the conveyer-casing open downwardly, and as the grain is carried up by the flights of the endless conveyer and elevator the grain is free to escape through one spout or the other 8 9, according to the direction in which the conveyer and elevator is driven.

To support the endless iiightchains in proper position within the conveyer-casing 3, I provide a plurality of shafts, which are arranged at the several angles or corners of the conveyer-casing and lie transversely therein to properly receive and direct the endless night-chains in their course through the conveyer-casing. The upper shafts 10 11 are journaled in suitable bearings at opposite ends of the upper section 7 of the conveyercasing, while the lower shafts 12 13 are arranged at the respective ends of the lower section I of said conveyer-casing. The upper shafts 10 11 are not in the same vertical plane as the lower shafts 12 13, and all of the shafts are provided with sprocket-wheels 14E to engage with the links of the endless Hightchains.

The endless conveyer and elevator is designated in its entirety by the numeral 15, and it consists of two strands or lengths of endless link chains 16 17 and cross-flights 1S, suitably attached to the strands or lengths 16 17. The lengths or strands of endless chains 16 17 are held in parallel relation to each oth er by the pairs of sprocket-wheels leion the several shafts of the conveyer and elevator mechanism, and the flights 1S are attached to said parallel endless chains at suitable intervals from each other and extend outwardly from the chains. The links of the endless chains, to which the flights are attached, are provided with flat plates 19, which are reinforced by the webs 2O to brace and sustain the flights 1S, which are applied laterally on the plates 19 and are securely fastened thereto-as, for example, by the rivets shown in Fig. 3.

In connection with the described construction of the casing and endless night-chains which constitute the conveyer and elevator mechanism I employ a single measuring and bagging mechanism 2l, which is adapted to be mounted detachably beneath either of the spouts 8 or 9 of the conveyer-casing.

I do not desire in this application to claim any specific construction of the measuring and bagging mechanism, because such mechanism forms the subject-matter of a separate application filed by me of even date herewith, Serial No. 663,304.

In the drawings I have illustrated in a general Way a measuring and bagging mechanism 'suitable for use in connection with my improved conveyer and elevator, and in this connection I desire to state that a single measuring and bagging mechanism is mounted detachably on the conveyer-casing, so that it may be adjusted beneath either of the spouts 8 or 0, according as the attendant desires to employ such mechanism on one side or the other of the threshing-machine.

It will be understood that the threshingmachine may occupy such a position with relation to a barn or other structure that the measuring and bagging mechanism cannot be conveniently used on the side of the machine adjacent to the obstruction, and under these conditions of service it is highly desirable that the bagging and measuring mechanism may be used on either side of the threshingmachine. To this end I construct the con veyer-casing with the independent spouts on the respective sides of the threshing-machine and mount the measuring and bagging mechanism detachably on said conveyer-casing to enable it to be used on either side thereof. This casing 22 of the measuring and bagging mechanism is provided at its lower end with the diverging delivery-spouts 23, to either or both of which may be attached a bag or bags designed to receive the grain from the said casing 22, and I also provide fastenings 241 25 for detachably connecting said casing 22 to the conveyer-casing 3. The fastenings may he of any suitable or preferred construction; but, as shown by the drawings, I employ the hooks and catch-plates adapted to be fastened to the conveyer-casing and to the casing 22 of the bagging and measuring mechanism. The endless conveyer and elevatoris designed to be driven by connections with one of the shafts of the threshing-machine, and I provide a driving mechanism 26 for such conveyer and elevator. The shaft 27 of the conveyer and elevator driving mechanism is geared through the intermeshing beveled gears 23 29 to a sprocket-wheel shaft 10 within the conveyer-casing 3, and one end of said shaft 27 protrudes beyond the side of the threshing-machine to receive a belt-pulley 30, around which is passed an endless drivingbelt 31, leading to the pulley on one of the IOO IIO

shafts of said threshing-machine. This belt may be crossed between the pulley 30 and the driving-pulley of the threshing-machine for the purpose of impelling the endless conveyer and elevatorin one direction, or a straight belt may be used to drive the pulley 30 in the opposite direction when the endless conveyer and elevator is to be propelled in an opposite direction.

The drivin g-shaft 27, having the pulley and the interchangeable straight and crossed belts, constitutes in effect a reversible driving mechanism by which the endless conveyer may be driven in either direction to adapt it to discharge to the weighing and bagging mechanism, and thus the conveyer may be operated to discharge the grain in the spouts of the upright legs of the conveyer-casing without carrying the grain across the upper horizontal length of the conveyer or the deck of the threshing machine, thereby obviating any tendency of the straw or chaff to become caught in the upper sprocket-wheels or shafts of the conveyer and elevator.

One of the important features of my irnprovement is the outward inclination of the upright legs of the casing and the endless elevator and the arrangement of the flights on the elevator to sweep close to the outer sides or walls of the conveyer-casing; This organization of the parts is advantageous in that provision is made for the quick and thorough discharge of the grain from the elevatorflights at the protruding spouts of the upright legs of said casing, and the grain is delivered thoroughly and effectually from the elevator to the spouts and the weighing and bagging mechanism.

One of the important features of my improved conveyer and elevator mechanism is that it occupies an exceedingly compact relation to the casing of the threshing-machine, and it lies wholly within the-vertical plane of the carrying-wheels of said threshing-machine, so that the conveyer and elevator mechanism does not project beyond the threshingmachine to offer obstruction to the passage of such machine through gateways and narrow places, thus overcoming one of the objections to ordinary elevators on threshing-machines.

Another important feature of my improvement is that the lower section 4 of the conveyer-casing and the lower strand of the bucket conveyer lies directly beneath the delivery end of the cleaning-shoe 2^ of such threshing-machine,and thus the cleaned grain from the shoe 2 is delivered directly to the conveyer for the purpose of being carried from the shoe directly to the measuring and bagging mechanism 2l, whereby intermediate screw conveyers or other analogous devices to transfer the grain from the shoe to a discharge-conveyer are wholly obviated.

The operation may be described, brieiiy, as follows: The measuring and bagging mechanism is attached to the conveyer-casing in close relation-to and beneath one or the other of the overhanging spouts 8 or 9 thereof, and the endless v iight-chains are driven by the driving mechanism 26 in a direction to carry the grain up to such spout 8 or 9. As the grain is discharged from the shoe 2 it passes directly to the section 4 of the conveyer-casing and is depositcd'in the path of the flights of the endless conveyer and elevator, the latter serving to carry the grain up and along one of the upright members 5 or 6 of the conveyer-casing and to deposit the same into the spouts 8 or 9, from whence the grain passes directly into the ymeasuring and bagging mechanism.

If it is desired to employ the measuring and bagging' mechanism on the opposite side of the machine, it is only necessary for the operator to detach the casing 22 and transfer it bodily to the other side of the machine, after which the casing 22 is attached to the conveyer-casing beneath the other spout thereon. The driving mechanism 26 is now adjusted to impel the conveyer and elevator in the opposite direction, and the operation of moving the grain from the shoe to the last-named delivery-spout is precisely the same as heretofore described.

It will be observed that my improved con-- veyer and elevator mechanismvdoes not carry the grain up to the upper section 7 of the conveyer-casing nor across the deckof the primary machine; but, on the contrary, the grain is carried up one upright member of the conveyer-casing as far as the deliveryspout thereon, at which point the grain is discharged from the flights directly into the delivery-spout and thence to the measuring and bagging mechanism. This discharge of the grain to the delivery-spout at an intermediate point of the height of the conveyercasing is thoroughly effected by reason of the outward inclination given to the upright members of the conveyer-casing and the traveling conveyer and elevator, and l thus avoid the liability of clogging of the sprocket wheels and shafts l0 1l by straw and chaff, which would become caught in said sprocket-wheels and shafts if the grain was carried across the deck of the threshing-machine by the operation of the endless conveyer and elevator.

Having thus described my invention,what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-- l. The combination of an elevator-casing adapted to extend around a threshing-machine in the vertical plane of the cleaningshoe thereof and having its legs inclined upwardly and outwardly from the lower hori- -zontal length of said casing, the guide wheels or pulleys situated at the corners of the casing, delivery-spouts on the inclined legs of the casing at points below the upper guide wheels or pulleys, and formed by notches'or breaks in the outer walls of the inclined legs, and an endless conveyer fitted to the guide wheels or pulleys and having the flights arranged to sweep close to the outer walls of IOO IIO

the inclined casing-legs and across the notches or breaks and adapted to dump automatically When the conVeyer-iiights reach the notches or breaks, whereby the grain on said elevator-flights is effectively discharged into the delivery-spouts, substantially as described.

2. The combination of an elevator-casing having the inclined legs between its short and long horizontal lengths, a shaft, 10, at one upper corner of the casing and having a guide-wheel, another shaft, ll, carrying a guide-Wheel and arranged at the opposite upper corner of said casing, the shafts, l2, 13, carrying other guide-Wheels and located at the lower corners of the casing and in positions Within the vertical planes of the upper guide-Wheels, a driving-shaft geared to the shaft, l0, and adapted to be driven in either e direction by power connections with a threshing-machine, the delivery-spouts situated on the inclined legs of the casing below the upper guide-Wheels, and the endless elevator fitted to the guide-Wheels and having its ights arranged to sweep close to the outer inclined Walls of the casing-legs and to assume transversely-inclined positions toward the delivery-spouts, whereby automatic dumping is effected, substantially as set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two Witnesses.

FRANK DENTLER.

lVitnesses:

JOHN FIsK, C. I). CHILDS. 

